As long as we’re here, why not create some great content? That’s right, the show is back on and I’m planning on having some amazing guests for you in the coming weeks. We’re going to get through this together, and I’m grateful for this platform to be a part of your lives. Thank you for letting me.

My return show was prompted by Avi Bulow, who I’m sure you remember from Episode 117, three and a half years ago. He told me his brother, an MD and PhD student studying molecular microbiology at Tufts University (and specifically viral entry), had created an extremely helpful recording reciting some facts about Coronavirus, and thought it might be useful if he chatted with me about the virus, his background, and anything else pertinent. Before we go any further, here’s the recording he made.

Uri Bulow giving some coronavirus facts and statistics for his community

Given that the above recording covers about all the ground you’d ever need in terms of understanding this virus, here’s a rundown of some of the things covered in this episode:

Uri’s path from CU Boulder to a cardiology lab where he discovered his interests in viruses

The difference between being smart and being good at school

Why infectious disease doctors are so scarce in the United States

The long and storied history of anti-intellectualism in this country, and why that’s translated to defiance about social distancing

How this country has botched the response to the pandemic from the very beginning

Why it’s such a big deal when viruses cross the species barrier into humans, how that actually happens, and how we used to prevent it.